BlackBerry KEY2 makes regional debut in Malaysia

THE latest most advanced BlackBerry smartphone with a physical keyboard has made its debut in Malaysia ahead of other countries in Southeast Asia recently.
The BlackBerry KEY2 will run the newest Android 8.1 Oreo operating system, have a dual camera system, and features what is touted as the phone maker’s best keyboard to date.
Designed to be professional, secure and efficient, the BlackBerry KEY2 forgoes polished and metal frames for a tasteful Series 7 aluminium frame and a soft touch back decorated with a new diamond pattern that adds grip and premium feel to the phone.
Overall the phone also feels thinner and lighter than its previous iteration.
Underneath its 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass face is a 4.5in touch display with a 3:2 aspect ratio and a very dense resolution of 1620 by 1080 pixels.
On paper, this might look small, but on the phone itself, it looks and feels just right. However, BlackBerry could have given users a bigger screen by omitting the navigation buttons.
BlackBerry’s popular keyboard sits below the screen. It boasts larger keys and features the Speed Key.
In simple terms, the Speed key turns the keyboard into 52 shortcut buttons. Combine the Speed Key and another key to launch or switch to an app that the user has assigned it to. The space bar on the keyboard also doubles as a thumbprint reader.
Inside, the BlackBerry KEY2 houses a Qualcomm 660 processor that is paired with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage. Its primary camera is a dual camera system that is made up to two 12MP sensors. It also has an optical zoom. The front-facing camera is an 8MP sensor.
Powering it all is a 3,500mAh battery. BlackBerry touts that the phone has 2-day battery life and when paired with Quick Charge 3.0, leaves the user with more time being connected and less time being plugged in. Nevertheless, this phone does not have wireless charging.
All that said, the biggest reason to buy the BlackBerry KEY2, besides the keyboard, is BlackBerry’s unique suite of built-in applications and software that focuses on efficiency, security, and privacy.
The BlackBerry KEY2 will be available from Brightstar Malaysia and its range of retailers from July 12 onwards for RM2,599.
In conjunction with the launch, Shopee will offer the BlackBerry KEY2 for RM2,449. The Shocking Sale will start at 9am on July 12. Each purchase will also include a free Bluetooth headset for RM109.